memeorandum: Mitt's health care defense (Kasie Hunt/The Politico)

2:45 AM ET, April 3, 2011

Top Items:

Reconsidering the Goldstone Report on Israel and war crimes — We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war of 2008-09 than we did when I chaired the fact-finding mission appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council that produced what has come to be known as the Goldstone Report.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Haaretz, New York Times, Elder of Ziyon, YID With LID, Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, Israel Matzav, Atlas Shrugs, Maggie's Farm, Moe Lane, FrumForum and normblog

Ron Radosh / Pajamas Media:

Judge Richard Goldstone's Stunning Re-evaluation of His Own Report — In a stunning and unexpected turn of events, Judge Richard Goldstone has essentially reversed himself on the findings of the Goldstone Report. He does, of course, qualify his remarks to make it appear that he has not reversed himself.

Discussion: Israel Matzav, Doug Ross and FrumForum

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:
Richard Goldstone Confirms He Was A Useful Idiot

Discussion: New York Times, The Atlantic Online and Pajamas Media

Laura Myers / Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Romney slams Obama foreign policy, avoids Libya — Speaking in Las Vegas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Saturday criticized President Barack Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East. — Romney said the president hasn't been tough enough on Iran and its nuclear program.

Discussion: Another Black Conservative, Left Coast Rebel, Eunomia and Ballot Box

Kasie Hunt / The Politico:

Mitt's health care defense — LAS VEGAS — Mitt Romney directly addressed the Obama administration's backhanded plaudits of his Massachusetts health care law Saturday, defending the law's controversial individual mandate for the first time and promising that it wouldn't impede an aggressive attack …

Discussion: FrumForum and The Note

Matt Viser / Boston Globe:
Romney comes for foreign policy, leaves defending Mass. health care

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Aljazeera:

Libyan rebels ‘receive foreign training’ — Rebel source tells Al Jazeera about training offered by US and Egyptian special forces in eastern Libya. — US and Egyptian special forces have reportedly been offering covert armed training to rebel fighters in the battle for Libya, Al Jazeera has been told.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Another Black Conservative and Weasel Zippers

BBC:
Libya: Coalition air strike near Brega kills rebels

Discussion: Sky News, CNN, The Last Tradition, Scared Monkeys, The Gateway Pundit, The Other McCain and FrumForum

New York Times:
NATO Airstrike Reportedly Kills Rebels in Libya

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, JustOneMinute, FrumForum and Washington Wire

Philip Sherwell / Telegraph:

Pastor Terry Jones: ‘I may put Mohammed on trial’ — Terry Jones, the radical pastor who oversaw the burning of a Koran in his Florida church last month after a mock court hearing, may put the Islamic prophet Mohammed on trial in his next ‘day of judgement’, he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Discussion: The Last Tradition and Weasel Zippers

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Koran-burning pastor says murders of UN staff aren't his fault

Discussion: Blue Collar Philosophy, Mediaite, Pajamas Media, protein wisdom, ABCNEWS, Moe Lane and Da Techguy's Blog

New York Times:
Protests Over Koran Burning Reach Kandahar

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Pajamas Media, NO QUARTER, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Last Tradition, Left Coast Rebel, National Review, Little Green Footballs, The Gateway Pundit, The Lede, Truthout, The Mahablog, The Daily Dish, Fausta's Blog, Pirate's Cove, FrumForum, Guardian and Outside the Beltway

ABCNEWS:
Terry Jones Says Afghan U.N. Violence ‘Proves My Point’

Discussion: NewsReal Blog, Big Journalism, Blue Collar Philosophy, Outside the Beltway and The Last Tradition

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

House GOP passes ‘force of law’ spending bill mocked by Dems — The House narrowly passed legislation on Friday that calls for a House-passed FY 2011 spending bill to become law should the Senate fail to approve a spending bill by April 6. It would also prevent members of Congress from being paid during a government shutdown.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Volokh Conspiracy and Washington Monthly

Ben Geman / The Hill:
Obama talks spending with Reid, Boehner as shutdown deadline looms

Discussion: CNN

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Can the House “deem” a bill into law?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Glenn Thrush / The Politico:

Obama '12 launch likely next week — In a long-anticipated move, President Barack Obama is expected to file his reelection papers with the Federal Election Commission as soon as next week — possibly as early as Monday — and follow up with an announcement to supporters sometime soon after, Democrats say.

Discussion: CNN, The Gateway Pundit, RedState and FrumForum

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

An Obama Insider, Running the Race From Afar — CHICAGO — For two years, Jim Messina worked 41 steps from the Oval Office, a distance he counted when he first arrived at the White House. His next assignment — in an office 700 miles from President Obama — will test whether proximity is the key to power.

Discussion: CBS News, Ben Smith's Blog and AMERICAblog News

Mike Allen / The Politico:

House GOP to target ‘tens of trillions’ on entitlements — Bush war aide: Libya could become Obama's Iraq — Lessons learned: 'clear goals ... Don't sell public on a best-case scenario' — BULLETIN: President Obama plans to announce his reelection campaign early next week in an electronic message …

CNN:

Huckabee wins 2012 county straw poll in South Carolina — Washington (CNN) - Mike Huckabee won a 2012 presidential straw poll conducted in a key South Carolina county Saturday. — The informal vote was the first of many upcoming straw polls taking place this month at grassroots GOP …

Discussion: GOP 12, Ballot Box, Donklephant and Washington Post

Raymond Colitt / Reuters:

Al Qaeda members hide in Brazil, raise money: report — BRASILIA (Reuters) - Al Qaeda operatives are in Brazil planning attacks, raising money and recruiting followers, a leading news magazine reported Saturday, renewing concerns about the nation serving as a hide-out for Islamic militants.

Jason Millman / The Hill:

List of health reform waivers keeps growing — The number of waivers the Obama administration has awarded for a provision of the year-old healthcare reform law grew by 128 in March. — With the new waivers, that means 1,168 businesses, insurers, unions and other organizations have received …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

CNN:

Workers struggle to plug leak at Japan nuclear plant — Tokyo (CNN) — A first attempt to plug a cracked concrete shaft that is leaking highly radioactive water into the ocean off Japan failed Saturday, so officials are now exploring alternatives, spokesmen for Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.

Discussion: Firedoglake and Mediaite

New York Times:
In Setback, Radioactive Water Is Leaking Directly Into Sea, Japan Says

Discussion: Canadian Press, The Hill and FrumForum

Sean J. Miller / Ballot Box:

RNC may sanction presidential debates that double as fundraisers — The Republican National Committee is considering sanctioning a series of monthly presidential candidate debates beginning in August that would be paired with committee fundraisers, a party official confirmed to The Ballot Box.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …